Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management K.A. Sengottaiyan and Minister for Handlooms, Textiles and Khadi M. Vijay Balaji distributing new ration card to a beneficiary in Gobichettipalayam in Erode district in Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.
Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management K.A. Sengottaiyan on Saturday (July 18, 2026) said the AIADMK could not reunite after the eras of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, likening such a possibility to “the North Pole and the South Pole coming together.”Speaking to reporters after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for welfare projects worth ₹12.95 crore in Gobichettipalayam, Mr. Sengottaiyan said the recent developments in the AIADMK had made it clear that the party would not reunite. Responding to a question on the AIADMK’s allegation of attempts at horse-trading of legislators, he said the Opposition should first answer whether its leaders had claimed in the Assembly that a government could be formed with the support of only 41 MLAs. Referring to remarks made by the Tamil Nadu Muslim League president, he said the AIADMK had so far failed to respond to those observations.On prohibition of liquor, the Minister said the government’s long-term objective was total prohibition. TASMAC outlets near temples and schools and wherever local residents sought their closure were being removed, and the government had acted on such requests without the need for public protests, he said.Regarding the women’s monthly entitlement assistance scheme, he said applications were being received online and eligible beneficiaries would be selected after scrutiny.Mr. Sengottaiyan said that at its first Cabinet meeting, the government had drawn up a five-year development roadmap, which he described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. Separate review meetings had also been held for every department to monitor progress, he added.The Chief Minister was committed to strengthening local bodies and improving governance, he said, adding that inspections were being conducted across government departments, including taluk offices, to ensure efficient public service delivery.Referring to the monsoon, the Minister said the southwest monsoon had so far been weak. An expert committee had been constituted to study the impact of El Nino and assess whether the northeast monsoon would offset the rainfall deficit, he said. The government would decide on the release of water for the Lower Bhavani Project irrigation system after consulting farmers and taking into account the prevailing rainfall conditions, he added.Minister for Handlooms, Textiles and Khadi M. Vijay Balaji, MLAs and Collector S. Kandasamy were present. Published - July 18, 2026 05:58 pm IST
